How Copilot uses your data
This guidance provides information for staff on the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot and what happens to your data when you interact with the application. It outlines how Copilot operates, how your data is protected, and what safeguards are in place.
The information below applies to the enterprise version of Copilot. Use the following link to sign in with your University credentials: copilot.microsoft.com and select ‘work’ when prompted.
Copilot respects Microsoft 365 permissions, regardless of your prompt
Microsoft 365 Copilot operates within the University’s existing Microsoft 365 environment. This means your data is protected under the same enterprise-grade security as your OneDrive, SharePoint, and Outlook content.
Copilot respects existing access controls and permissions. It will only access content you are authorised to view, such as your own OneDrive or Teams which you are a member of.
For example, if you transcribe a confidential meeting, that content stays private. Even if someone else asks Copilot about the same topic, your meeting details remain private and won’t be shared.
How to tell you’re using the ‘work’ version
When using Copilot, you will see a green shield icon. This indicates that Enterprise Data Protection (EDP) is in place. This means your data is not shared with the public internet.
The shield is a quick visual indicator that your data is being handled securely and that you can use Copilot to analyse organisational data. This is in contrast to free versions of ChatGPT and other generative AI chatbots available which will use your data to train their models. For this reason, as stated in the Use of University personal data and other information with Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), staff are not permitted to enter internal, confidential, or strictly confidential information in free GenAI tools.
Intelligent services across Microsoft 365
Copilot may provide suggestions based on your own activity. For example, when you’re drafting an email, you may see suggested attachments pop up. This is due to similar words appearing in the document and your email, if you have recently opened or edited the file, and if you have access to it.
This feature aims to save time and reduce the likelihood of missed attachments.
Further support
For more information on how Microsoft 365 Copilot protects your data, visit the official Microsoft documentation.
If you would like a short demo to get started with the tool, please contact the IT Service Desk.